Gakuen Monogatari
by Aku no Megami
Summary: The result of too much Evangelion and not enough sleep. Anything that can happen...probably will. Originalvarious series.
1. Part One, Chapter One

**Story:** Gakuen Monogatari (School Story)  
**Author:** Musashi  
**Rating:** T; violence and possible mature themes later in the story  
**Notes: **Mainly this idea came from the last episode of Evganelion: Take the characters from the (currently untitled) fanfic we're writing, and stick them in a modern school environment. And then randomize it all to hell. o.o; Keep in mind that while I kind of know where I'm going, I don't know how I'm getting there or who will show up along the way. ; So bear with me, and enjoy if you can.  
**Disclaimers: **Posted at the bottom of each chapter to avoid spoilers.

"Niisan!"

The only response from the summoned brother was a quiet shifting of blankets, then silence.

The boy who called stood at the side of his sibling's bed, frowning. This had become a daily routine, much to his dismay. He brought his foot up to try and kick his brother, but instead could only reach the mattress. "Niisan, get up! We're gonna be late for school!

This succeeded in getting the other to roll over and face him with a glare. "Shut up, Mineki. It's Sunday."

A vein was pulsing uncontrollably in Mineki's head...he could feel it. How could be possibly be related to such an oaf? "It's Tuesday," he seethed through clenched teeth.

"Tues--?" The black-and-white haired boy looked up with a sleepy and confused expression as he rubbed his red eyes. Come to think of it...they had gone to school the previous day, hadn't they?

A second glance at the clock was enough to jolt him awake. They would definitely be late if they didn't leave within minutes! Hissing obscenities under his breath he bolted out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

"Yoru-nii!" Mineki whined at the older boy. "You're so slow! I have to stand in the hall if I'm late one more time!"

"I'm trying!" Yoru snapped as he struggled with the shirt of his uniform. It was a little too small...but he didn't have the time or the money to get a new one just yet.

"YORU! MINEKI!" A woman's scream came from down the hall. "Why the hell are you making so much noise this early in the morning!"

Both boys immediately froze in silence. After a moment Yoru moved to the bathroom door, and the brothers exchanged nervous glances as they heard footsteps coming toward them.

'Fire escape,' the elder mouthed, pointing to the window in his room. It wasn't outside his window, per se...but it was close enough that Mineki could get to it without much trouble. They'd had to do it a number of times before.

Mineki cast a doubtful look at his sibling. "Niisan..."

"Go!" Yoru hissed a little louder than he meant to, crossing the room to shove the boy in the direction he was supposed to go. The nudge was all it took to send Mineki scrambling outside, just in time to avoid being seen by the woman who entered the room.

Their mother scanned the room with golden eyes before her gaze landed on its sole occupant, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Where's the brat?" she demanded.

"He left for school," Yoru responded evenly, moving to the desk to grab his book-bag. He refused to look at her, even though there was a chance the gesture would make her temperament worse. There was no telling how she would react to things anymore. Lately her personality had been getting more and more volatile...he supposed his father and his habits had something to do with that.

As he went for the door, the thought crossed his mind that maybe, for once, he would be able to end this encounter without incident. Then it happened. "I need you home tonight," she said off-handedly, flipping a lock of her long red hair back.

Yoru stopped in the doorway of his room. For a moment he actually considered accepting the request in favor of getting to Mineki. But if he agreed and didn't come home, things would just get worse. "I can't, okasan. I have work tonight."

Her eyes narrowed as she strode toward him. "Skip it," she replied. "I need you here."

"I can't do that." He turned around to face her. If she was going to get agitated it was not a good idea to have his back to her.

"I said I need you here!" she snapped with a slight growl in her tone.

"Why, so you can get wasted without worrying about the apartment?" he muttered to himself as he glanced at the clock on the wall. He'd already spent too much time arguing. "I have to get to school." He hesitated a moment before turning to leave, but she wasn't moving, or responding to him at all. He quickly made his way down the hallway.

He was nearly to the living room when he heard a grunt from behind him, and his eyes went wide. That was a sound she only made when she was throwing something...

In alarm he spun around, arm raised to defend himself, only to find a glass vase from a nearby table sailing at him, which shattered as it hit. With a pained hiss he ran the rest of the way to the exit. He heard something loud and heavy hit the door as he slammed the door shut.

He leaned against the wall in the outer hallway for a moment, trying to catch his breath. His eyes drifted to the arm he'd defended with. It hurt...for good reason. The shards of the vase not only tore through his sleeve, but made several large cuts to his skin as well.

"Damn," he hissed, pulling a small towel out of his book bag. He kept it there for these kinds of circumstances. Another quick look revealed that he had run out of bandages, and he growled in annoyance. This was not a good way to start the day.

"Niisan!" Mineki rounded the corner just then, having successfully escaped outside, but didn't want want to wait there. He opened his mouth to chastise his older brother for dawdling, but shut it again as he noticed the towel around his hand. Their mother had done something again...that seemed to be turning into a daily occurrence as well. Yoru always pushed him away from her wrath, dealing with her himself...whether it was yelling or something more damaging. A pang of guilt swept through him. He never understood why his brother was so protective of him...especially since they weren't fully brothers.

"We're gonna be late," he mumbled under his breath, but the concern he tried to hide still peeked through in his expression.

Yoru was a bit startled by Mineki's voice, but by the time he realized the younger was there he didn't have time to hide his injured hand. Frowning slightly he wrapped his palm in the cloth as tightly as he could in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It wasn't very effective, but it covered the majority of it for now, and he could take care of the rest at school. He then walked past his little brother and turned back to look at him in a partial glare. "You coming or not?"

Mineki momentarily wore a stunned expression before returning the glare. "Take care of your arm first, baka! It's gross!"

I'll take care of it later!" Yoru snapped back. He glanced past Mineki to the apartment door nervously. There was no telling when his father might come out, especially with them yelling outside... "Come on! You don't wanna be late, right?"

The boy growled in frustration. "Just go see Yuuko, you moron! I can--" He stopped abruptly mid-sentence. He could...what? Go to school on his own? With the way the rest of the community was treating them lately, it wasn't a good idea to go anywhere alone.

Yoru suddenly switched his bag to his injured hand with a wince and grasped Mineki's hand in his good one. He pulled the younger boy's arm once to get him walking.

Mineki let out a small cry of protest as he stumbled forward, but otherwise followed in silence.

**Disclaimers:** Yoru, Mineki, Mayumi (the mother) – Property of the Bishounen Hunters Group (or whatever we're calling ourselves. . )


	2. Part One, chapter Two

"Damn it," Yoru hissed as they reached Mineki's school just as the bell rang. He quickened his pace, dragging his struggling brother behind him.

"You're gonna pull my arm off!" the dark green-haired sibling finally spoke up, but by then they were in the hall near his classroom.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the teacher standing at the door, but a dark-skinned boy about Mineki's age. The worried look in his deep red eyes brightened into a wide smile as he noticed them.

"Ki-kun!" The greenish-platinum haired child rushed over and nearly barreled into Mineki. "Kaneda-sensei thinks you were picking up something for me today. She'd never yell at me, so it's okay!"

Yoru rolled his eyes as his sibling's face turned deep red. It was nice that Mineki had someone at school looking out for him, but...why did he want to be friends with such a weird kid? Though, at times it seemed that Mineki's interest went deeper than that. He frowned at the thought.

"Th-Thanks, Sage," Mineki stammered, shooting Yoru a nervous glance. It turned into a scowl when he saw the expression on the other's face. What was that look for!

Sage peered around his friend, looking up at Yoru with wide, innocent berry eyes. "Wow...what happened to your hand?"

At the mention of it Yoru glanced down, finding that blood was starting to seep through the cloth. With a hiss of annoyance he slid his hand behind his back, ignoring the question.

"You comin' with me or staying with them?" Yoru asked Mineki while motioning toward Sage. They hadn't had a chance to discuss his after school plans yet, and going home by himself was just not an option...not with Yoru's father around. They had both decided that over a year ago.

Mineki opened his mouth to respond, but Sage beat him to it. "He can stay with me and Thyme!" The boy said brightly. "We'll be at my house today."

Yoru shot a glance at his brother, who just nodded dumbly. That made things easier...there was a certain assistant shopkeeper that Mineki just couldn't get along with.

With a short wave to the two boys Yoru raced off toward his own school. He was very late now...it was a good thing his teacher liked him.

"Fujishima-san?"

"Here."

The teacher looked over her class list, a small frown across her features. One student absent...but it concerned her when that particular student went missing. There was nothing she could do about it now...

With a small sigh she shut the attendance book. "Okay, let's start with--"

Her sentence was interrupted by the sound of the classroom door sliding open much too quickly. Yoru stood in the doorway, panting from his efforts in getting there, while a majority of the class scowled at him in disapproval.

Crimson eyes turned to their teacher, who quickly assessed his appearance before letting out a heavy breath. "Go sit down, she murmured as she turned back to the board.

With a short nod Yoru went for his seat, which earned him more intense glares from his peers. Most days he was late it wasn't exactly his fault...though sometimes he did simply oversleep and had to stand in the hall. Their teacher could somehow tell just by looking, and dealt with him accordingly. Most of his classmates, however, didn't see it that way. It was generally viewed as 'special treatment' and he was shunned for it, among other offenses.

Most of the time he would return their glares with equal intensity, but today he just didn't feel like dealing with it. As he sat down his gaze wearily shifted to his left hand. He'd been running so late he hadn't bothered to stop anywhere to deal with it, though luckily it seemed like the bleeding had finally stopped. Maybe it would be okay until lunchtime...

He pulled out his textbook and was about to look up when something firm but lightweight hit the side of his head. He looked down to find a roll of bandages lying at his feet. He whipped his head around to look at a violet-haired student the next row over and a few seats back, who was glaring at him as well, but with a different expression than the other students wore. The redheaded boy next to her was smirking, but trying hard not to look at him.

"What the hell was that for?" Yoru snapped, forgetting where he was for the moment.

"Why bother coming to class if you're just going to bleed to death?" the girl yelled back as she hopped to her feet.

"You--!"

"OI!"

The whole class's attention was abruptly brought back to the front, where an enraged female student with pigtailed black hair and narrowed blue eyes faced them, hands forcefully set on her hips. "What do you think you're doing! We're in the middle of class! Have some respect for Ichihara-sensei!"

The teacher being referenced, on the other hand, looked much more amused than angered by the chaos. "All right, all right. Thank you, Ramen-san." With a small smile she turned to address the rest of the students. "Yoru-kun, please go take care of your hand before Izumi-chan has a heart attack. Izumi-chan, go with him. We don't want him to bleed to death in the hallway, right?"

Izumi shot a dirty look at the student next to her, who was fighting desperately to suppress a laugh as he hid an amused smile behind his hand. Yoru offered the same; in all probability he had been the one to throw the bandages, even though Izumi was the one that spoke up. He'd have to get Kyosuke back later...

With a an irritated grunt the injured boy picked up the roll of cloth and stomped out of the classroom, with Izumi following behind in a similar manner.

About halfway down the hall Yoru realized his classmate was still trailing after him. He stopped and turned his head to regard her over his shoulder. "You don't have to come, okay? I can take care of myself."

Izumi rolled her eyes at this. "Yeah, I can tell," she returned, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How many times have I heard that?"

Yoru frowned at her, but didn't respond. There was nothing he could say to that. Considering how often he had come to school injured, there was no reason for anyone to believe him.

Since Izumi insisted on keeping an eye on him, the best place to go was the faucets near the track, he decided. This time of day there weren't any gym classes, so the two of them were alone outside. Izumi pulled herself onto the ledge just above the faucets while Yoru unraveled the towel. She watched him for a moment before speaking. "So what happened this time?"

Yoru cringed slightly as he managed to pry the sticky towel off with minimal pain. The scabs that had formed underneath came off with the towel, and his wounds began bleeding again. He cursed silently as he stuck his hand under the running water. It stung, but not quite as much as the question. There weren't many who actually knew his situation... but nearly all of those who did had to ask. "Threw a vase," he muttered lowly.

Izumi sighed heavily, leaning back on her hands and gazing into the sky. "I don't get you. Why don't you just move out? The shop pays you enough, right?"

A small growl escaped Yoru's throat as he finished drying the arm and began awkwardly wrapping it with one hand. That was one subject he wished she'd stop bringing up. "How many times do I have to tell you? I can't do that."

"Why not?" Out of the corner of her eye she noticed him struggling and slid down to help him. Taking the cloth roll roughly she began tightening the loose bandages he'd already managed to put on. "You can't tell me you're actually attached to those bastards..."

Even though he wasn't, as she so eloquently put it, 'attached to those bastards', her words still lit an anger within him. They were disgusting people who made his and his brother's lives miserable day after day, but they were still his parents. It was a fact he'd been forced to accept a long time ago..the one time had had tried to escape their grasp. "I just can't, okay?" he muttered, then winced as Izumi suddenly pulled the wrap very tight and tied it off. "Watch it!"

She sent him a nasty stare before turning away in a huff. "I figured you must like the pain." She was silent for a moment, and when Yoru didn't offer any reply it just seemed to make her more upset. "Whatever. It isn't my problem if you and the brat you care so much about get yourselves killed!" With that she stormed off in the direction of the class building, not even noticing her classmate walk past in the opposite direction.

As the red haired boy approached Yoru he let out an impressed-sounding whistle. "She looks really mad! What'd you say to her this time?"

Yoru snarled at the other, who settled into the same spot Izumi had just abandoned. "What are you doing out here, Kyosuke?"

Kyosuke shrugged nonchalantly. "Apparently Ichihara-sensei thought I was distracting the class too much..."

"Meaning you were flirting during the lesson again," Yoru grumbled.

Kyosuke seemed to let the comment slide as his gaze shifted to Yoru's bandaged arm. The white-haired student shifted uncomfortably.

Finally Kyosuke's eyes drifted to the path Izumi had taken back to class. "Mi-chan can be kind of harsh, but she really does worry about you. Of course, you know that better than I do, huh?"

Yoru closed his eyes, looking somewhat relieved. That was one thing he actually liked about him...Kyosuke never asked about his injuries. He guessed the other's personal past had something to do with that. "Yeah, well...I wish she'd stop bugging me about things I can't change. It's not like I can just leave like that..."

"Hm." A sad smile crossed the boy's lips. "Because of your brother, right? You're not his guardian, so you probably wouldn't be able to keep him with you."

Yoru blinked up at his classmate, finding it hard to hide his surprise. No one had ever guessed that before...at least, not to his knowledge. His gaze sank back to the ground. "Couldn't afford to take care of him anyway," he murmured, barely loud enough to hear.

"Now that I don't agree with," the other responded, pushing himself off the small ledge. "You've been taking care of him yourself all this time, haven't you?" Kyosuke paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant to state what else was going through his mind. "Besides, without them around, taking care of him wouldn't cost nearly as much."

Yoru shot a look at him, but before he could comment they heard the sound of the school bell ringing.

"Lunch already, huh?" Kyosuke sighed. This topic was so depressing...but it was one that seemed to come up a lot lately. The fact that members of the community were starting to take their fear of the parents out on the children. It wouldn't be long before everyone was against them, for reasons they had no control over.

Shaking the thought from his mind he started walking in the direction of the cafeteria. "C'mon...I'm sure Mi-chan's waiting for us."

**  
**

**Disclaimers: **Yoru, Mineki, Sage, (Emiko) Ichihara, Kyosuke – Property of the Bishounen Hunters Group.

Gomen for taking so long to get to the crossover stuff...; It's coming, I swear.


	3. Part One, Chapter Three

Lunch was definitely not Mineki's favorite time of day, especially when he forgot to ask his brother for lunch money. The boy glared at his stomach as he cried out in protest. It didn't help that he didn't have a chance to eat breakfast, either.

He glanced over at the blue-haired boy next to him, who was seated on the grass next to him eating an unknown substance between two slices of bread. Mineki raised a brow at the strange food. What were his parents feeding him? Still, it had to be better than nothing. He sighed wearily.

In his distraction he didn't notice Sage walk up to them until a huge pile of packaged breads were nearly dumped in his lap. Leaning back to avoid being hit, he gazed up in wide-eyed surprise at his smiling friend.

"My parents always give me way too much lunch money," he explained, as though it was an actual explanation. He plopped himself down across from the two boys on the other side of the pile. He stared at the bread intently for a moment before selecting some melon bread near the top and taking a bite. He then looked up at the others, who were still staring at him. "Come on, have some! I can't eat all this by myself!"

Mineki smiled in spite of himself as he picked up the nearest one. Curry bread! His favorite. An odd thought occurred to him as he shoved half of it in his mouth. Sage didn't like curry bread, did he?

Before he could think to say anything Thyme sighed heavily and took a pork bun. "You really shouldn't spend all your money on us, Sage."

The darker-skinned boy blushed slightly and tilted his head with a grin. "I kinda thought you'd figure me out...but I want to! It really is just my lunch money, I promise..."

"Hn," replied the other boy, tearing a small piece from the pork bun after putting the remainder of his sandwich away for later.

Mineki eyed the blue-haired child as he angrily bit into his remaining meal. It always seemed like Thyme was one step ahead of him...it really was irritating. The looks Sage gave him were irritating too, though he couldn't really tell why it bothered him so much.

He was about to take another bun when he was roughly shoved from behind, falling face first into the food in front of him.

"Ki-kun!" Sage gasped, jumping up from his place on the ground to help the other boy up.

"Oops...sorry about that," the taller boy who had 'bumped' Mineki said, though his tone clearly indicated otherwise. Two other students behind him just sneered.

For a moment Mineki was too stunned to do anything on his own. But he noticed, as Sage helped him to his knees, that he had fallen on most of the bread, effectively squishing them. He turned to confront the older students, but was held where he was by the arms around his own.

"Ki-kun, don't..." his friend whispered to him.

Silently Thyme began picking up the flattened bread pieces, putting the ones that remained in their packages back into the bag they came from.

"Yeah, 'Ki-kun', stop it," one of the other boys mocked, taking a step closer. Before Mineki could even think to get up Sage was on his feet and standing between the aggressors and his friend, arms held wide open in a warding gesture.

"Leave Ki-kun alone!" he said boldly. "He didn't do anything to you!"

The third boy rolled his eyes, stepping forward and smacking Sage roughly to the ground. "He's here, ain't he?"

A low growl sounded from Mineki's throat as he lunged for the boy who attacked first. He managed to get one punch in before the other two jumped in to help their friend.

By the time Sage pulled himself up, Mineki was quite simply being pummeled by the older students, unable to defend himself. Looking around, he found that their area of the schoolyard was now empty...even Thyme had disappeared somewhere. With a growl of his own Sage stood and glared at the three attackers. They were not going to get away with this.

The best and closest place to get help, Thyme realized, was their teacher. He slowed his running pace as he reached the classroom.

Thankfully the teacher was inside, writing in a notebook. She lifted her eyes when she heard the door open.

"_Sensei_...Mineki-kun needs help outside," the blue-haired boy stated, his normally neutral tone reflecting a little worry. "Some of the older students..."

His voice trailed off as he noticed she was no longer looking at him, and had gone back to her work.

"_Sensei_..." Thyme called to her again, but this time he received no response at all. With a tiny frown he closed the door and turned back into the hallway. Many walked past him, and it seemed all of them were intentionally looking anywhere but at him. He knew he wouldn't find help here...so he'd have to go to someone that would.

"Damn," Yoru hissed to himself as he took a seat with his friends, near the school fence. "I forgot to give Mineki money for lunch..."

Izumi shrugged as she untied the cloth around her bento box. "He hangs out with that rich kid, right? Don't you think he'd buy him lunch?"

When all that did was earn her a glare from Yoru, Kyosuke intervened."I'm sure if he needed it he'd come over here and get it," the blue-eyed student pointed across the fence, where the elementary school stood. "That's why we sit over here, isn't it?"

Yoru said nothing and took a bite of his school-bought sandwich, but the blush across his face confirmed Kyosuke's suspicions.

"I dunno why you spend so much time worrying about the brat anyway," the violet-haired girl muttered before sticking a hunk of rice in her mouth.

Before Yoru could snap at her, a voice sounded from behind him. "Yoru-kuuuuuun!" it squealed as she dark-skinned, busty girl it belonged to glomped into his back, nearly shoving his face into his meal.

The attacked boy sighed heavily, turning his head to look at his assailant while his companions looked on in wide-eyed shock. "M, how many times have I told you not to do that!"

"You did?" she responded, looking confused for a moment as she pushed her glasses back onto her nose with the hand that that was draped around Yoru's neck. She then gasped loudly, and leaned in closer to look at Yoru's face with giant puppy eyes. "...Can I have your sandwich?"

He turned an intense glare on her. "No, you can't have it! Shouldn't you be in class now!"

"Oooooh yeah..." she said slowly. Without warning she nabbed a huge bite of his meal before skipping off to class. "See you later, Yoru-kun!"

He rolled his eyes before turning to face the other two again, who still wore the same dumbfounded expressions. "What?" he said with a bit of confusion.

It was Kyosuke who broke through his shock first. "You KNOW her!"

"That's Marley-sempai, isn't it?" Izumi added, just as awestruck.

Yoru shrugged before glaring at his now half-eaten sandwich. "It's just M..."

"'Just' M!" Kyosuke leapt to his feet and shook his fist at the other boy. "She's only the most popular girl in the senior class! Every guy in school is after her, but no one can get close with those two weird bodyguards around! How on Earth do you know her!"

Yoru raised an eyebrow as he continued to chew on his meal. He hadn't known any of that...and didn't particularly care, either. "She lives next door to me," he replied nonchalantly.

Kyosuke dropped back to his knees, leaning in close to the other and staring him directly in the eyes. "Are you sure you're not gay?" he asked seriously, earning him a punch in the head from each of his two classmates.

"What he means," Izumi said as she rolled her eyes at the redhead, "is why aren't you dating a girl like that? You seem awfully familiar with her, and she definitely seems to like you, that's for sure."

"Not interested," he grumbled. It was his turn to roll his eyes. Sure, she was attractive...but he didn't really see the point in dating her, or anyone for that matter. He couldn't understand why his friend were always bothering him about it...especially Izumi. The two of them had seen each other for a while, but she had been the one to both start and end it. What did it matter if he had a girlfriend? It wasn't worth the effort to keep relationships. Experience with his parents had proved that much.

He was just about to go back to his sandwich when he heard sounds just beyond the fence. He looked up to see Thyme standing there, his expression grim. "Your brother...was all he said.

It was all he needed to say. In an instant Yoru was on his feet, and he flipped over the barrier between schools with seemingly minimal effort. "Where is he?" The boy demanded, following the blue-haired child as he rushed off.

"Who does he think he is, a ninja?" Izumi grumbled as she and Kyosuke stood to follow. Only, she planned on using the gate...

**Disclaimers: **Yoru, Mineki, Sage, Thyme, Izumi, Kyosuke, Marley – Property of the Bishounen Hunters Group.


	4. Part One, Chapter Four

"Mineki!"

Sage looked up from his place next to the unconscious body of his friend, seeing Yoru and Thyme running toward him through tear-filled eyes. "Yoru-kun..." Sage started sniffling as the older brother dropped to his knees by the younger and shook him slightly. "Ki-kun won't get up...I tried that already..."

The hand not on Mineki's side clenched dirt as it formed a shaking fist. "Who did this?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Sage stood and went to Thyme, leaning against him as he continued to cry. Thyme, in return, put his arm around the slightly shorter boy. "Three boys came and attacked him for no reason..."

"Where did they go?" the protective older brother growled.

"He needs help," Thyme pointed out, indicating that now was not the time to think about revenge.

"There they are!" An older voice called as the older student it belonged to rushed over, Izumi and Kyosuke right behind him. A senior passing by had caught them leaving, and insisted on going with them after they explained the situation.

With a quick assessment of the damages, the senior frowned deeply. "Damn, he's hurt." He whipped a cell phone out of his pocket, looking annoyed. "Should get him to the hospital, huh?"

"No!" Yoru shouted forcefully, causing the larger student to nearly drop his phone. "Don't call an ambulance!" He reached down and slid his arms under the prone body before him He winced at the pressure on his injured wrist. "I just...need to get him to Yuuko..."

"What the hell are you doing!" the other yelled back, obviously angry. "Don't move him, dumb ass, he's hurt! I'm telling you, the brat needs a hospital!"

"I can't afford a hospital!" Yoru snapped in return, looking and sounding completely frustrated.

Silently Kyosuke stepped in and took the child from his schoolmate's arms. _"Sempai_," he said quietly, so as not to irritate their helper more as he turned to face him. "You have a car here, right? Could you please take us to Yuuko-san's clinic?"

After a few moments the senior nodded once, though the look on his face clearly showed his annoyance for having gotten involved. The clinic wasn't far from the school...the sooner he got back, the better. He'd missed most of class already.

Thanks to a call from Izumi, Yuuko was waiting outside when they arrived, the usual amusement completely gone from her expression. When she approached the car her expression didn't change, but her eyes did, making Yoru's heart sink. "Bring him in," she said curtly as she went back to the building.

The three in the back seat exchanged looks before Yoru slid off the seat, carefully trying to pull Mineki out without jostling him too much.

Kyosuke quickly jumped out of the other side to help. "Why's he so heavy?" he grumbled, managing to pull the boy out enough to slide his hands underneath and pick him up. Meanwhile the two younger children in the front seat piled out of the car, and Izumi scrambled out from the opposite side just as the car sped off a bit too quickly.

"Jeez, what's his problem?" she snapped as she glared at the disappearing car, then crossed the street to safety.

"That punk? I'm sure he wants to get back to campus before he's caught," Kyosuke responded. "We're lucky he even agreed to take us here."

They walked to the door of the clinic, which looked more like a house than a medical center. Two boys, who looked about their age, were waiting there with a stretcher. The moment Kyosuke laid the patient onto it they rushed off to another room.

The remainder of the group stood in the doorway, at a loss for what to do.

After a few minutes had passed, Sage gently tugged on the sleeve of Yoru's uniform. The older boy turned to look down on his brother's friend, who appeared to be on the verge of tears again. "Ne...is Ki-kun gonna be okay?"

When he received no assurance, he hung his head low as the built up tears fell, and he began to sob.

Kyosuke let out a small sigh, casting pity on the crying child. "Come on, let's go sit down," he said gently, using a hand on his back to guide him in the right direction. The others followed suit.

Thyme silently pulled himself into the chair next to Sage, his face showing concern without actually expressing it. When the other reached for him, however, he willingly offered his comfort.

Izumi glanced at her platinum-haired classmate and opened her mouth to speak, but the look on his face dissuaded her. She wouldn't get anywhere by talking to him now, that much was certain. Instead she faced the other boy next to her. "So you think class has started by now?"

Kyosuke blinked several times, as if tiny got clear his mind of something before her words could register. "Hey...did you tell Ichihara-sensei where we are?" he asked suddenly.

She shook her head with a thoughtful frown. "That's why I'm asking..." She then rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "If I called her now, she'd probably just rush over here now," she said, but still took out her cell phone.

"If you don't call her, she'll probably rush over here anyway," Kyosuke pointed out, but before he could say anything more she motioned for his silence, and frowned slighty as she pushed a button without saying a word. "She's not answering," the girl muttered.

"Excuse me..." The group looked up to see one of the boys from before standing in front of them.

Kyosuke suddenly snapped his fingers as he recognized the one addressing them. "Wait, aren't you in our class?"

The boy appeared startled, then embarrassed as he laughed nervously. "Ah, yes...Watanuki Kimihiro _desu_. I work here part time along with THAT guy," he explained, gesturing over his shoulder to the room he'd come form with a look of disdain. "Yuuko-san told us yesterday she'd need us during school; she even called Ichihara-sensei to get us excused. Now I understand why..."

Yoru's right hand clenched tightly into a fist by his side, but he still maintained his silence. Yuuko had a strange way of knowing things before they actually happened, and this was no exception. He'd asked about it once, and was told there was nothing she could do to intervene, unless asked. Since no one else knew, no one could ask. And even if they could, there was always a price. Knowing Yuuko, it was probably a price no one wanted to pay.

"Oh!" the black-haired student stood straight abruptly as he remembered something. "Yuuko-san sent me out here to ask what happened."

The eyes of the older students all turned to the younger ones. Sage peeked up shyly, his face still half-buried against Thyme's shoulder.

Watanuki knelt in front of the children to meet dark red eyes, and smiled kindly as though countering Sage's sniffles. "Were you the one who saw? Can you tell me what happened?"

After a moment's hesitation Sage nodded once, slowly. "I bought lunch for everyone, and we were eating in the courtyard, and...and then three boys came and pushed Ki-kun..." Sage seemed to get more upset with every word he spoke. "A-And they wouldn't leave Ki-kun alone, so I tried to stop them...and then they pushed me and Ki-kun got mad a-and then they..." At that point, Sage's words were completely lost amongst his sobs.

Pulling Sage back to him, Thyme shifted blank, purplish red eyes to Watanuki. "I left to find help...but _sensei _wouldn't listen to me..when I told her Mineki-san was in trouble she ignored me."

Everyone looked stunned for a moment. "What do you mean, she ignored you?" Watanuki asked once he recovered a bit.

"She went back to her work when I told her what happened," Thyme elaborated almly.

A low growl sounded like it was coming from Yoru's direction, but the noise ceased when Izumi set a hand on his shoulder.

Watanuki's eyes were shadowed beneath his glasses as he stood upright. "Even teachers are in on this..." he murmured to himself, the words barely audible.

"Watanuki!" Yuuko called from the back, the slightest touch of panic in her tone. "What are you doing?"

He moment he heard her voice, the assistant bowed to his classmates and quickly rushed back to what he had previously been doing.

Left to their own devices once more the group was quiet again. Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye Kyosuke glanced over to watch Yoru seemingly withdraw into himself, wrapping his arms over themselves and sinking deeper into his seat. He shut his eyes and hung his head. It was barely noticeable...but Yoru was definitely shaking.

The redhead's gaze was momentarily shifted to Izumi, who was looking anywhere but at the depressed boy to the left of her. At first he found it a little upsetting, but with further thought he realized sher might have the right idea. What comfort could any of them really be right now? No one knew what to say...what could they say? That everything would be alright? That was hardly true, and they all knew it. They couldn't be sure of anything at this point. The only thing he was sure of was that the parents should be the ones shouldering this emotional burden, not the older brother. If they had been the ones in Yoru's position, they would have left the kid for dead. But, that was hardly an appropriate thing to say. Maybe letting him be was the best option...

Five minutes later, though it felt like hours, another figure emerged to speak to them. This time, it was Yuuko herself. Her red eyes met each of their stares levelly, until they met Yoru's. She then offered a smile, hidden in a smirk. "He'll be fine," she stated casually.

As Yoru exhaled the air he'd been subconsciously been holding in, one could almost see the tension melt from his demeanor.

Izumi rubbed her temple in annoyance. "You like messing with people, don't you Auntie?"

"Hmm?" The woman's gaze shifted to Izumi, amusement clear in her expression. "What gave you that idea?"

"You made it sound like he was gonna die!" she snapped, her own golden eyes narrowing.

Yuuko simply lifted both arms and shrugged. "When did I say that? People don't die from a few broken bones and cracked ribs."

"Yes they do!" Watanuki shouted as he angrily peered around the corner. Doumeki walked out from behind him, looking very tired.

Sage hopped from his chair and approached the doctor with anxious eyes. "Ne...can I go see him?"

Yuuko bent halfway to look at the child, her smile still in place but the look in her eyes more serious. "Sage-chan, ne?"

Sage seemed a bit taken aback by the fact that she knew his name, but he reluctantly nodded.

"What happened to the boys that attacked Mineki-kun?" she asked, a little more quietly than before.

Brief but obvious surprise flew across the child's face. He glanced back at the others, but apparently none of them were listening. "They went away," he said after a moment, returning his gaze to her.

The raven-haired woman's smile grew into a somewhat mischievous grin. "Oh? They just stopped and ran away? It looked to me like they meant to kill him..."

It was then that Sage's face changed significantly. At first glance the look it now wore seemed foreign on the normally friendly boy, but at the same time it seemed to belong there, and had been there many times before, schooled to perfection. Cold and angered red eyes regarded the woman while the rest of his face remained eerily calm. "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt Ki-kun," he said just as calmly, though there was an air of defiance in his tone. "It's okay to protect Ki-kun, isn't it?"

Leaning a little closer, Yuuko placed a hand on the child's head and ruffled his hair lightly. The action alone seemed to diffuse his attitude and revert him back into his usual, wide-eyed self. "Be careful," she commented at an almost whisper before straightening.

The boy offered her a warm smile. "I will," he replied cheerfully before running off to the room where Mineki had been taken.

Yuuko's attention returned to the rest of the room's occupants, who were now looking at her with slightly odd expressions. She shrugged in response. "As I already said, he'll be fine. But he hasn't woken up yet, and when he does he'll need to rest a few days."

"That's it, huh?" Kyosuke looked truly amazed.

Yoru, meanwhile, wore a frown across his features. Slowly he lifted his eyes to the doctor. He hesitated a while longer before speaking. "Can I leave him with you?"

The way Yuuko's eyebrows shot up indicated her obvious surprise. She hadn't expected the question..it was one she never thought he'd ask. "He won't like that," she replied.

"I can pay you extra," he stated after another short pause, taking a stab at why she was bringing it up.

"That's not what she's getting at," Izumi mumbled under her breath.

But Yuuko's look had already returned to normal, as though she accepted the answer. "I suppose I can take on an extra tenant for a few days..."

What sounded like a child's voice let out a whining cry from the back room, but it quickly became muffled. Before anyone could question it two girls, one with pink hair and one with blue, poked their heads out as everyone turned to stare. "_Gomen, gomen_!" they chimed in unison before disappearing behind the separator doors once more.

Yoru rolled his eyes, used to these kinds of oddities in this place, but he stopped as he noticed the clock on the wall. He quickly stood and rushed to the door. "Damn, I'm late for work!"

"Wha--?" Kyosuke's eyes snapped to Yoru and he abruptly stood as well, with Izumi following his lead. "You mean you're leaving now? He hasn't even woken up yet!"

"How can you think of work at a time like this!" Izumi added, a lot less kindly.

"Just shut up!" Yoru nearly screamed at the two of them, causing them to subconsciously take a step back. He didn't care what they thought of him at the moment; he was fed up with everyone second guessing him. "What the hell do you want me do to! You think I _want_ to leave him here? How am I supposed to pay for this is if I don't make any money?

No one said a word, which only served to fuel his anger. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Once Yoru was gone Kyosuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Think we're being too hard on him?"

Izumi didn't respond.

The door toward the back opened slightly as something small moved through it. Then a tiny black creature hopped in front of Yuuko, looking very upset. "Mokona," it fumed, "is not a 'tenant'!"

**Disclaimers: **Yuuko, Watanuki, Doumeki, Mokona – xxxHolic; propery of CLAMP.  
Yoru, Mineki, Sage, Thyme, Izumi, Kyosuke – Property of the Bishounen Hunters Group.


	5. Part One, Chapter Five

When Yoru finally reached the shop, he was greeted by something unusual. Two children were cleaning the front a girl with long black pigtails and a boy with spiky red hair. 'Cleaning' wasn't the right term, really...the girl was trying to sweep while guarding her head with one arm, while the other was more interested in smacking her with his broom than using it properly.

"Stoooop..." the strange-faced girl whined, but did nothing more to resist.

That scenario, however, was completely normal.

At least, for that particular shop.

What struck him as odd was the fact that both of them stopped and stared as he ran up.

"Yeah, I know I'm late," Yoru muttered as he grabbed his blue apron off a hook on the wall, dismissing their looks.

"Yoru-kun..." the girl finally spoke up, her voice slow and shy. "We didn't think you would come today..."

"Why wouldn't I?" Yoru gave them an incredulous look. "When do I ever not show up for work?"

"When your brother's in the hospital, _baka_!" the boy's obnoxious voice rang out next to her as he waved the broom in his hand.

Yoru glared at the children for even bringing it up. He didn't ask how they knew; people connected with this store seemed to know a lot of things they hadn't been told directly. "He's fine, alright? Why does everyone think I need to be sitting around moping?" He flung the door open to go in. "You'd think _tenchou_ would be grateful anyone shows up here at--"

He was cut off abruptly as he looked forward, only to find the skull-shaped butt of a cane heading for his face. It hit him hard in the forehead, though he felt no pain as he stumbled backward. He put a hand on the place he was struck anyway. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

The man who held the cane looked just as surprised as he did. "Yoru-kun?" He turned to the burly man with glasses beside him, peering up with dull eyes from under the wide brim of his striped hat. "I thought you said he wasn't coming today..."

The much taller man turned toward the kids, a stern look on his face. "No, JINTA said he wasn't coming today."

"Who in their right mind would go to work after taking their brother to the hospital!" the red haired boy shouted back, eager to take the blame off him.

Yoru, on the other hand, was too dazed to listen in on the conversation. That is, until he looked over and saw his body lying next to him. His eyes widened and he took a few steps back, finally noticing that it wasn't the only change. "Why the hell am I over there!" he shouted angrily at the blond who'd hit him. He then gestured to himself. "And why am I wearing a hakama!"

The man with the cane just waved a hand at the panicked boy. "Oh, you're alright, just climb back in there." He turned and went back inside. "I do wonder why _that_ happened, though..."

"How am I supposed to do that!" Yoru shouted back, but the manager was already gone.

"Cool!" Jinta rushed up to him with an excited but devilish grin. "Hey, let me play with your _zanbatou_!"

Yoru let out a heavy sigh as he hung up his smock. The work in this place was hardly daunting—they were lucky if they got more than one customer a day—but the environment was definitely chaotic. Those who came in were usually there to speak to the boss personally. The customers who did come to buy already knew what they wanted and were in and out fairly quickly. It didn't surprise him that customers were rare; he didn't know what the things they sold were used for, but they looked like children's toys to him. At the prices they sold them form, who would want them?

He was about to leave through the back door when he thought of something he'd meant to ask. "Hey, _tenchou_?"

The manager silently lifted his eyes from his place on the floor, though it was hard to tell under the shadow of his hat.

"Can I have a raise?"

"Denied!" the man responded cheerfully, then took a sip of sake from the cup in front of him.

Yoru's neutral expression turned into a glare. "Why not!"

Urahara put a hand on his chin in a mocking thought gesture. "I seem to recall someone begging for a job a few months ago...said he'd take anything, no matter how little pay. Who was that, now?"

the glare Yoru held on the manager intensified. "Why do I work for you again?"

"Because no one else will hire you," Urahara pointed out tactlessly.

As much as Yoru hated to admit it, he was right. A few months back he'd gone all over the city looking for work, but few had even acknowledged him, and some even told him off outright. He hadn't even known Urahara Shoten existed at the time...until the manager approached him with an offer. Shocked but grateful, that was what he'd felt at the time. He supposed he couldn't hope for more than that.

Silently he turned back to the door in order to leave. Before he could close the door something light struck him in the back of his head. He spun around with a growl, but stopped as he found a small bundle of money sitting at his feet. He knelt to pick it up, confusion apparent on his face.

"Call it an advance," Urahara explained without asking. "I'm sure you'll be in on Sunday to earn it, hm?"

Yoru just couldn't seem to wipe the dumbfounded look off his face. He'd have to bring Mineki with him if he worked Sunday, but..slowly his bewilderment morphed into suspicion. "You're not going to take it back when you sober up, are you?"

Urahara raised his half-lidded eyes and held out a hand. "If you don't want it, give it back. I'll go buy more _sake_."

Yoru was out the door before he finished his sentence.

A small, rare smile crossed his lips; gestures like that from the eccentric businessman were practically unheard of. He was grateful...but he wasn't about to let him get a big head about it.

"You're kind of a jerk, you know that?"

Startled by the voice Yoru looked up with a snarl, only to find Izumi stranding across the street from him. She easily crossed the street to get to him. There were no cars around. There never were this time of night anymore.

Yoru's response was to stare at her dully. "What, are you girls stalking me now or something?"

Izumi returned the stare for only a moment before her golden eyes narrowed. "If you don't care what's happening with your brother, I'll leave." With that she turned the opposite way on the sidewalk and moved away from him.

"O-Oi!" Yoru rushed to catch up. He walked alongside her, a scowl on his face as they went in the direction of his apartment. "What happened to him!"

For his concern, Yoru received a smirk over Izumi's shoulder. It was a familiar look, one it seemed every member of her family had perfected. "He was really mad when he found out you left him there," she reported, as if discussing the weather. "He only calmed down when that weird rich kid said he'd stay with him."

Yoru was silent then, but the small, relieved smile on his lips spoke volumes. He really hadn't wanted to leave his brother alone...he was glad someone was staying with him. Even if it was that weird kid.

"You're not going to see him?" Izumi asked after a moment.

Yoru just shook his head. "I have to get home; Okaasan's probably mad already. I'll go see him before school tomorrow."

Izumi stopped walking the moment Yoru mentioned his mother, causing him to pass her before he stopped as well. He spun around to face her, but by then she had resumed and he had to catch up.

The look on her face had changed, however, as she seemed to be hesitating. She offered a few sidelong glances before speaking at last. "Come stay with me."

"I can't," Yoru replied instantly, not even pausing to give it thought.

Izumi shot him a look, clearly showing her disapproval at being turned down to quickly. "I meant you _and_ your brother. I already talked to _okasan;_ she said you could stay with us until you can get a place of your own."

"I said no."

At once Izumi went from his side to the front, blocking his path as she glared up at his face. "Why not?" she demanded. "Things will get worse if you keep staying with those damned parents of yours! You know that! So get out of there!"

"I said I can't!" Yoru snapped back, equally as defiant. He his tone would end the conversation.

It didn't. "Why do you have to be so stubborn!" she yelled. "What is wrong with you! You have people who can get you out of that hellhole and you want to stay there? Why won't you let anyone help you!"

Yoru's eyes dimmed slightly as he looked away from her, but his expression stayed the same. He'd heard those words before...and they came with memories Yoru wished he could forget. "Just drop it," he said huskily.

"You--"

"I said drop it!" he repeated; this time his tone demanded compliance.

Izumi continued to glare, but his voice had served its purpose. But, not without its consequences. After several long, silent moments Izumi raised her hand and slapped him across the face. The startled boy stumbled back a few feet, but before he could recover the angered girl walked away quickly, heading for her own house.

As he continued home, he came to realize that she hit remarkably hard for a girl.

"Damn, that hurt," Yoru muttered, touching the place Izumi hit him with a wince. The red hand-shaped mark was beginning to swell, but he didn't want to leave his room again to get ice. He was surprised and relieved to find that no one was awake to yell at him. Still, he didn't want to take the chance.

He glanced at the book bag beside his desk. If there was any homework, he didn't know about it. He didn't feel much like studying, anyway. Sleep sounded very good right then...

He shut off his light and fell sideways into bed. Before he could close his eyes, he saw his door begin to open. He involuntarily tensed as he saw his mother's silhouette in the light that shone from the hallway. "Yoru?" he heard her call into the dark room.

For a moment Yoru thought about staying quiet. "What?" he asked softly after reconsidering.

"Oh...so you _are _awake," she noted, her tone surprised but not at all angered. "Yoru...look, I'm sorry about this morning. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you, I just...I've had to deal with your father recently..."

"It's fine, _okasan_," Yoru broke in, though he didn't look at her. Her apology sounded so sincere...but then, it always did. He'd heard similar speeches many times before, regardless of of whether his father was around or not.

Still, she seemed to accept his reply. "We'll talk in the morning, all right?" she said as she shut the door.

With a heavy sigh Yoru rolled over to face away from his room's entrance. She hadn't even mentioned Mineki...but at the same time he wasn't that surprised. If Mineki were to disappear for good, neither of his parents were likely to even notice, much less care. That morbid thought was the last thing to cross his mind before he fell asleep.

"_Okasan_, I'm home," Izumi called, her tone still irritated as she pulled off her shoes.

"_Okairi_," her mother called from the kitchen area. As her daughter walked into the room and sat next to her, she put down the paper she was grading. "You didn't turn your work in."

"You didn't call me back," Izumi replied, pulling her previous homework out of her bag and handing it over.

"I knew where you were," she responded, going back to her work after putting the new paper on the bottom of her stack. "Your aunt called me earlier. How is Mineki-kun?"

When Izumi didn't answer the black-haired woman poked her in the side, causing her to jump, and she finally looked up. "What did we miss in class?"

Emiko smiled faintly; obviously her daughter hadn't heard the question. "After Oneesan called me I went to speak with the principal. The school board is going to rearrange some of the teachers, and Mineki's teacher will be replaced immediately, of course." A dark look passed over her features. "I can't believe someone in her position would do that..." When silence followed, she resumed her work. "So I take it you talked to him?"

The sour look that took over Izumi's face spoke volumes. "He's such a moron," she grumbled.

"I take it that's a yes?" Emiko smiled sympathetically. "Not arguing with you there. But if he wants to be a stubborn pig head, that _is_ his choice to make. We can't force him."

"I know." The expression on Izumi's face softened, just a little. "It's just not fair."

"Hello? Oh, hello! How are you this evening? I just love this—I'm sorry? Oh, I'm sorry to hear that...yes...the elementary school?"

"Mother? I--"

The woman on the phone held up one finger for quiet as she continued to speak. "A permanent position? Why yes, I'd love to! Children are so adorable at that age, don't you think? I wish I could have more...Oh, yes...I'm sorry to keep you...yes, I'll see you tomorrow then! Goodbye!"

As she hung up the phone she turned her attention to the other who asked for it. "What's the matter, honey? Are you ready for school tomorrow?"

"Yes, Mother, but...my uniform..."

"Is something wrong? It doesn't fit?"

"N-No, it's does...just..." A dark blush spread over the child's face. "I think you may have ordered the wrong one..."

"Did I?" She set a finger on her chin and looked thoughtful. This only lasted a moment, as it was replaced by a cheerful grin. "Well, we can order you a new one. But it will be alright for now, ne?"

The other's face turned to shock. "What! Mother, you can't possibly expect me to--"

"Now don't be silly, dear," she interjected, the touch of sternness in her voice indicating how serious she really was. "You can't very well go to school without a uniform, can you?"

"I suppose not..." the other sighed, getting the very distinct impression that perhaps she'd ordered the wrong uniform on purpose, and with a look of defeat retreated back upstairs. "I'll go to bed now...goodnight, Mother."

"Goodnight, dearheart."

**Disclaimers:** Jinta, Ururu, Tessai, Urahara - BLEACH; property of Tite Kubo.  
Yoru, Mineki, Sage, Thyme, Emiko, Izumi, Kyosuke - Property of the Bishounen Hunters Group.

**A/N:** I realize that so far, much of this is drama. ; I have to gather a few more characters and work through certain things before we can get to more of the randomness, so bear with me, sorry.


End file.
